Corner pad



Feb; 23, 1954 G. W. DAVIDSON ETAL CORNER PAD Filegl March 22, 1952 Patented Feb. 23, 1954 CORNER George W. Davidson, Whittier, Allen M. Kupfer, San Gabriel, and Charles B. Kilmer, San Marino, Calif assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Del ware Application March 22, 1952, Serial No. 278,092

This invention relates to a corrugated corner pad which protects the corners of television and radio cabinets, and other similar articles that may be packed into shipping containers.

It is an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive corner pad that may be. stored or shipped in fiat condition and may easily set up into shape for use. It is a further object to provide a corner pad that has a minimum resistance to folding and yet has sufficient strength to hold together in use. Another object to provide a corner pad that does not have. to be completely shaped before being positioned in the shipping container in which it is to be used, but may be inserted into position for use in partially folded form and then folded into its final form without loss of time when the shipping container is being .closed. Another object is to form the corner pad from a rectangularstrip of paperboard so as to avoid waste of material in the manufacture of the pads.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in

which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a partially closed hipping container in which corner pads Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pad after 2' it has been folded into its final form; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the folded pad, looking from a different angle.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawing, the blank comprises a rectangular strip 2 of corrugated paperboard having a longitudinally extending score line 3 dividing the strip into two substantially equal portions 4 and 5. A slot 6 aligned with score line 3 extends from one end of strip 2 to a point slightly farther than one fourth the length of strip 2. The purpose of slot 6 will be hereinafter described. The portion 4 is subdivided transversely into four substantially equal sections 1, 8, 9 and I0 by a score line H and slots l2 and I3, each of which extends perpendicular to score line 3. Score line H extends from the slot 6 to the longitudinal edge M of portion 4. The slots l2 and I3 extend from the score line 3 to a point spaced inwardly a short distance from the longitudinal edge l4. Score lines 15 and I6 extend respectively from the ends of slots 12 and 3 to the edge 14. The portion 5 is similarly subdivided into sections ll, l8, l9 and 20 by a score line 2 I, aligned'with score line I I, and slots 22 and 23, aligned with slots 12 and It. The slots 2-2 and 23 each terminate short of the longitudinal edge 24 of portion 5, and the intervening portions are transversed by score lines 25 and 26, similar to score lines I5 and It. The slot 6' extends a short distance beyond score lines I I and 2 i, as indicated at 21.

When the corner pad is to be folded into shape for use, the rectangular strip 2 is folded in reverse directions along slots I 2, 22 and I3, 23 so as to provide sections of triple thickness with sections 3, 9 and Win face to face relationship, and sections l8, l9 and 20 in face to face relationship.

The slots l2, I3, 22 and 23 permit these sections to be folded substantialy flat against each other. The unslotted portions [5, i6, 25 and 25 do not interferewith this folding operation, but provide suflicient strength to prevent the paperboard from breaking at these points. Section .I l is then folded toward section 20 along score line .2], and sectiorm 8', 3 and ill are foldedalong score. line 3 towards sections l8, l9 and 20 until they are at right angles thereto. Section I may then be folded along fold line ll until it is fiat against section I! and at right angles to sections 8 and 18. The extension 21 of slot 6 facilitates the folding of sections 1 and I! at right angles to each other by providing the necessary clearance therebetween. Sections 9, l0, l9 and 2c are all of the same length, which is slightly less than the length of sections 8 and 18 so that when sections 9 and ID are folded into face to face relationship with sections 8 and 18 respectively, the fold line defined by lines I6 and 26 is slightly below the score lines II and 2| to provide clearance for folding sections 1 and H at right angles to the other sections.

' Four corner pads may be inserted in the four corners of a shipping container 28 and the television cabinet 29 or similar article may be positioned in the shipping container with each corner engaging one of the pads. Article 29 will hold the corner pads in proper position in the corners. Sections 1 and I! may be secured together, by staples or adhesive if desired, when the corner pad is to be used at the bottom of a shipping container, but this is generally not necessary because even if the corner pad spreads out" slightly, the article 29 will push the pads into proper protecting position when it is inserted into the container. I

The corner pads are then placed in the container 28 against each upper corner of article 29. Sections 1 and I1 will naturally spring upwardly, as shown at the right hand side of Figure I. When the shipping container is to be closed, section 1 is pressed downwardly by hand, and then flap 30 may be folded downwardly into closed position. Flap 30 will carry section 1 down-' wardly with it and when the flap is sealed in closed position the corner pad will be securely held in place. After both flaps 30 have been folded down, the flaps 3| are folded over and secured to the flaps 30 in any suitable manner.

Although I have illustrated the corner pad as being used with shipping containers having foldable top cover flaps, it will be obvious that the corner pads may be used in any type of shipping container, regardless of whether they are made of paperboard, wood or metal, provided with any type of cover. The pads hold the article 29 out of contact with any surface of the shipping container and effectively cushion it against bumping or jarring that might occur while the article is being handled or transported.

While the foregoing description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention in considerable detail, many changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is; therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to theappended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A corner protector pad composed from a single rectangular piece of corrugated paperboard differentiated by scores and slots into eight panels arrayed in two side by side series of four panels each with each panel of each series opposite to a panel of the other series and with opposite panels of substantially equal corresponding dimensions, the opposed panels at one end of the piece being separated from. one another by a slot and each of the other three panels of each series being differentiated from their correspondingly opposite panels by a crease score aligned with said slot and extending longitudinally of the piece, the opposed panels at said one end being joined to their respectively adjacent panels by transversely extending aligned scores, the other three panels within each series being separated from one another by slots extending transversely of the piece of paperboard between places adjacent to the opposite longitudinal edges of the piece, and a crease score extending in alignment with and from each end of each transversely extending slot to the adjacent longitudinal edge of the piece.

2. A corner pad as defined in claim 1 wherein the several panels have been folded along said crease scores and slots into tri-cornered form, those end panels that are at the end of the piece opposite to the slot separated end panels being folded in back to back relation to and against their respectively next adjacent panels along the intervening slot and crease score, the said next adjacent panels being folded in face to face relation to and against their respectively next adjacent panels along the intervening slot and crease score, the thus folded three panels of each series being folded at right angles to the slot separated end panels, the thus folded three panels of each series being folded into right angular relationship to one another along the longitudinally extending crease score, and the slot separated end panels being folded to he one upon the other.

GEORGE W. DAVIDSON. ALLEN M. KUPFER. CHARLES B. KILMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,090,375 Rosenthal et al Aug. 17, 1937 2,271,265 Kirby Jan. 27, 1942 2,348,483 Lacy et a1. May 9, 1944 

